Chapter 18

SCARLETT

Five months had passed since our wedding and the merging of the packs. Those months were filled with transitions—between the pack union, my role as luna, and Karen and Thomas stepping into their roles as betas. My pregnancy was nearing its end; Anthony was growing stronger, and my belly was already huge.

I was in my eighth month and counting down the days until I could hold my boy in my arms.

The diamond mines were thriving. Christopher had organized better work routines, replacing the inhumane conditions that Joshua had enforced. We created dignified routines for anyone who wanted to work in the mines for a fair wage.

We chose to pursue mineral exploration cautiously, but it was a financial boon for the recovery of the old South. To our surprise, we discovered more than just diamonds—we found copper, gold, and even some precious stones. We rebuilt the houses and organized the villages of the pack that used to be the South, gradually integrating them with ours.

The people began to mix, and the differences diminished.

Caroline had started school. We were waiting for her to return for lunch before heading to the South. We took her every week to visit the elderly couple who had raised her.

Even though she didn’t seem to mind, Christopher and I thought it was important to maintain that bond.

The dining room door opened, and in walked Caroline in her school uniform, dragging her rolling backpack. Hensen followed, carrying her lunch box.

“Mommy,” she said, still dragging her backpack as she approached me. “How is my brother?”

She hugged me and kissed my belly every time she saw me.

“He’s fine, sweetheart. He’s been moving a lot today. He woke up quite agitated,” I replied, kissing the top of her head and caressing her round cheeks.

Christopher’s deep voice echoed from my right as he entered the dining room. He bent down to receive Caroline’s hug.

“How was school today, honey?”

“It was nice. Today we learned how to put syllables together,” Caroline said, waving her little hands in the air with excitement.

Christopher and I laughed—we loved hearing her talk about her day at school.

“Then take your backpack to your room and wash your hands before coming to lunch,” Christopher instructed.

She nodded and ran up to her room.

“We’re going to need to go to the mines today. I think we’ll go there after her visit,” Christopher said.

I sighed deeply, giving him a disapproving look.

“I know you don’t like taking her there, but it will be quick, I promise. We need to check a new tunnel they discovered and evaluate the extraction of new ores. They started the gold one, but there are more possibilities,” Christopher justified, but I didn’t change my expression.

He hugged me then, pulling my hips with both hands, making our bodies collide. He placed a kiss on my neck, making me shiver and let out a sigh along with a soft moan.

“I love how tough you are,” he said against my neck. “And how you soften under my touch.”

He whispered in my ear and bit my earlobe, making my legs tremble. He knew exactly how to make me react.

I smiled before he kissed me.

We were interrupted by little Caroline coming down the stairs. We had lunch and then headed to the mines. Our border used to be there, but now that our limits have expanded, it was incredible how quickly progress had reached the lands that were previously in the south.

The houses were all renovated, and there was a lot of activity in the area due to the jobs we had created.

We had also built two new buildings nearby—an administration and guard substation where Joshua’s house used to be. We arrived at the house of the elderly couple who had raised Caroline. They welcomed her with cookies, and she loved walking through their garden, picking fruits and flowers.

But the visits were becoming shorter and shorter. I understood that no matter how much we tried to maintain their bond, she no longer belonged there. In fact, she never had.

So we all went to the mines together. The difference from the first time we were there was almost bizarre. Now the illuminated tunnels looked more like the inside of a company.

The entire structure was reinforced and worked very well.

I felt Anthony move more often as I entered the mines. I placed my hand on my belly with a smile. My other hand held little Caroline’s, and Christopher was in front of us, following David, whom we had appointed as mining leader.

He wanted to show us a new tunnel that they had found, located practically next to the mine infirmary.

“Alpha, it’s here,” David said as soon as we arrived at the entrance. “This wall had been closed. We don’t know exactly why, but I went in and found a lot of things.”

He added, entering the passage. It seemed precarious, and I was afraid to go in there with Caroline. I felt her squeezing my hand tightly.

I took the first step through the passage and saw an immensity of precious stones and gold, all embedded in the walls. The little lighting they had placed there made everything even more beautiful. The yellowish lights reflected the golden reflections of the gold, and there was the red of the rubies, the green of the emeralds, and the blue of the sapphires.

“It’s beautiful,” Caroline whispered, as if it were a secret.

“That’s right. Let’s stay here at the door. Just let Dad in,” I said.

I could see her sigh in relief and nod her head.

“We know that they already used it because there are traces of the minerals that come out after the extraction and purification of gold. These puddles here are those remains. Don’t even stay close. There is silver there too,” David said, pointing to large puddles that were farther ahead.

“In addition, there are dynamites and deactivated bombs here, and more unexplored paths ahead and…”

He didn’t have time to finish his sentence.

As soon as he put his foot on the ground, I heard a sharp click. The next instant, my ear was filled with a loud bang. I felt the air pressure moving and hitting my body.

My instinct made me pull Caroline into my hug. I was left on my back, trying to protect myself and Anthony. I felt something liquid hitting my body and what I imagined were pieces of stone and debris hitting my legs.

I heard the sound of everything collapsing, but suddenly everything became silent.

Silence.

I thought I was unconscious, but I was wide awake. My ear was filled with a deafening ringing. I slowly opened my eyes to look around.

Little Caroline lifted her head.

“Honey, are you okay?” I asked her first. She nodded in affirmation, and only after I was sure she was unharmed did I dare to take in our surroundings. My body was aching all over, but I pushed the pain aside to assess the situation.

The wall that once separated the infirmary had crumbled, revealing the medical equipment and creating a passage. The infirmary door was barricaded by rubble, and the front wall, where David and Christopher had been, was no more. I couldn’t see them or the exit.

We were stuck.

Panic started to set in, and the pain began to intensify. I glanced down to see a stone pinning my leg—it was broken.

But the physical pain was nothing compared to the searing sensation on my skin. It felt like I was on fire, like acid was eating away at my flesh. The pain was almost unbearable, and sadly, it was a feeling I recognized.

Silver.

This couldn’t be happening. Not now.